


The Way Stars Change

by flower_boi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cussing, Depression, Draco Malfoy Has a Crush, Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World, Draco Malfoy is Bad at Feelings, Draco goes by Lyra, Drarry, Female Draco Malfoy, Good Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry Potter Has a Crush, Harry Potter in the muggle world, Harry and Draco are neighbors, Harry is Confused, I'll add more tags later, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, LGBTQ Themes, Light Angst, Magic helps shit, Multi, Not Epilogue Compliant, POV Harry Potter, Sad Draco Malfoy, Trans Character, Trans Draco Malfoy, Trans Female Character, a big crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-03-20 12:11:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18992410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flower_boi/pseuds/flower_boi
Summary: Harry Potter, tired of the memories still stuck to him at the age of twenty-three, decides to move. He certainly isn't expecting to suddenly come face to face with his ex-nemesis, who had fallen off the face of the Earth five years previously. Not to mention that Draco goes by Lyra now, and she certainly doesn't look like Harry's old enemy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Italics means that it happened in the past.  
> ((please teach me how to format and do italics dear god))  
> Geez, I really abandoned all my other works...whoops. Let's hope I don't abandon this one.

Harry was tired of the way everyone’s eyes were constantly trained on him. He was just tired, deep in his twenty-three-year-old bones, the same way an elderly person was sore. Perhaps that was because he had witnessed so much from such a young age, but he knew he needed a break.  
And while he loved his position in life, five years after the defeat of Voldemort, he felt like he needed a clean slate. Harry felt the weight of the wizard he had killed years previously, even now.  
The darkness and dust of Grimmauld Place were suffocating, and he felt like his lungs were being filled with memories. He was drowning, and he was far too afraid that he was going to get caught up in those horrid thoughts and not be able to escape.  
Not only did he need to leave his past, but he needed to leave his home. That was a terrifying thought-- to leave the pattern he had subconsciously formed, the process he dragged himself through every single day.  
Hermione was horrified by the idea of him moving. Ron, as loyal as ever, told him that he should go with his gut feeling. Their newborn baby, Rose Granger-Weasley, just gurgled in her mother’s arms at her godfather.  
Speaking of being a godfather, it was because of Teddy Harry decided to stay in England. He didn’t mistrust Andromeda, yet he wanted to be as close to his godson as possible...while still being able to escape the reminders of the war.  
Ginny just smiled sadly at him, her hand loosely wrapped in Luna’s.  
“Promise me you’ll find yourself, Harry.”  
Find himself. That was something she was always on about, that he truly didn’t know who he was. He found it funny because that was why they had broken up. Harry was truly joyful about that fact now, just seeing the way her eyes lit up whenever her fiance was in the room. He truly didn’t know a better match for Ginny than Luna.  
When he was almost eighteen, he had been angry that Ginny had broken things off. He was trying to cling onto things that were familiar, a schedule. Then, she had suddenly thrown his entire world into a spiral with a simple decision. When he needed stability the most, just a few weeks after the war, he didn’t have it.  
Harry respected her for having the guts to do that. To be truthful, he had ended up finding out things about himself. In fact, he didn’t even end up falling into the role of an Auror. Despite what he had thought when he was younger, Harry was tired of fighting.  
He just needed a damn break, and he found that with writing. It started off with messy fictional stories before he started to write about the experiences people in the war had faced. The books sold like mad, and he found his Gringotts vault fuller then it had ever been.  
When he wasn’t scribbling out pages or staring at a blank script, Harry started to rebuild Hogwarts. He found himself trying to scrub Hogwarts like he was trying to clean his mind, getting rid of the burnt and destroyed parts.  
Nothing was familiar. Except for him.  
At first, it was awkward working beside Malfoy. The blonde never spoke to him when they had to work together, just stared blankly at what he was working on.  
The man had been… not quite there. His father had been sent to Azkaban, as had his mother. However, the latter found herself dead in her cell. Killed by another one of the inmates, just because she was an easy target.’  
Malfoy didn’t seem to talk. Or eat, nor sleep for that matter. Harry found himself looking back to the Marauder's Map when he spent night’s in one of Hogwarts’ guest rooms during the summer, only to find Malfoy’s name in the hallways.  
It was concerning, to say the least. Especially as the male’s eyebags got darker, his skin becoming paler and paler. While Malfoy had managed to get off with only having to repair Hogwarts in terms of his sentence, it seemed that his mind was still being punished.  
One day, as Harry was trying to magic away some burn marks on the wall, he heard a familiar voice.  
“Potter…?” It was raspy, barely heard over the other sounds of the castle.  
Harry turned, half expecting that he was just imagining things. However, Malfoy was looking up at him with those empty eyes.  
“Yeah, Malfoy?”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“What?”  
“I’m sorry. I’m, I’m sorry.”  
“For what?”  
“Everything. To you and your friends.”  
Then, Malfoy- no, Draco- had turned back to the wall and didn’t speak again. At least, not for that day. Not even a week later, Harry found himself piping up and speaking to Draco.  
“You’re still a right prick, but I forgive you.” He said to the broken man, not daring to meet his gray eyes.  
“Thank you, Potter.”  
“It’s Harry.”  
“...Thank you, Harry.”  
After that, Draco and Harry talked quite a bit more. They found themselves sitting next to each other at meal times, sometimes even having quite personal conversations. Harry often tried to persuade Draco to eat, but the blonde would only take a few measly bites before stopping. Harry tried to ignore the new feelings of concern that had flared up over the other man, but he couldn’t shove them away.  
Far too soon, Harry realized that the start of the term would be far too close. In fact, only in another few weeks. With that in mind, he had gotten ready and set off to find his new friend.  
But Draco was nowhere to be found. He had seemingly vanished off the face of the Earth, without even a simple goodbye.  
Harry was distraught with worry and fear for the other and even ended up asking the Headmistress where the former Death Eater was.  
“He finished his sentence, Mr. Potter. Other then that, I have no information on his whereabouts.”  
Harry still hadn’t gotten any word on the other man and had retired the thought of him to the back of his mind. Now, he was focused on the lovely little home he had found.  
It was in Eastern London, in a primarily Muggle area. The house itself was modest, with two regular bedrooms and one master bedroom. It had two floors, a kitchen with a good amount of cooking space, and a lovely sitting room.  
It would be an under-exaggeration to say Harry had fallen in love with it at first sight. It was just so beautiful, with its front yard filled with blooming flowers. Tints of yellow and red filled the area, reminding him of what he thought a fairies’ city would look like.  
He bought the house with little to no hesitation, before beginning the journey to move into the house. Luckily, with magic, it ended up being a lot easier than he thought.  
Pride coursing through him, Harry took a glance through the house. Everything, thanks to Hermione, was neatly sorted and a giant pile of boxes was in the corner. He was looking forward to sitting on his couch and drinking a Butterbeer, and just relaxing. Harry was finally away from the memories, and all the old mentions of the experiences he had gone through.  
He was just about to live out his fantasy when there was a knock at the door. Groaning softly, Harry made his way to the front door and pulled it open.  
“Hello, I noticed you’ve just moved in-- I’m your new neighbor, I thought I’d bring by some cook--...Potter?”  
The raven-haired man looked down, only to find his gaze met with wide gray eyes.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry, Draco, and the lovely box of cookies join each other in Harry's living room to begin learning what happened five years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry misgenders Lyra, and dead names her, constaNTLY IN THIS CHAPTER. It's unintentional, but it made me die inside writing it...so you may die inside reading it.

It was as if a ghost had suddenly materialized in front of Harry’s face, bringing with it appearances from long ago.  
Draco Malfoy was staring at him with an incredulous expression, pale eyebrows furrowed. Harry could practically see the gears in his head turning, probably trying to figure out what the hell was suddenly happening.  
“Draco?” He said, perhaps a bit too loudly. The smaller man flinched, just barely, before schooling his face into a neutral expression.  
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”  
“Awhile?! It’s been five damn years. You vanished off the face of the Earth-”  
“No, I vanished from the Wizardry World. There’s a difference,” Harry could hear the exasperation leaking from Draco’s words.  
“Fuck, Draco,” Another twitch, “Can we talk?”  
“Right now?”  
“Yes, right now!”  
Draco huffed, “Fine. I’ll take time out of my busy schedule to talk to you,”  
“Thanks,” Harry couldn’t help but roll his eyes, before holding his door open and beckoning him inside. The two walked to the sitting room, an air of awkwardness filling the space.  
“Um...Here are your cookies; they’re double chocolate and spice…” Draco finally said, breaking the tense silence.  
Harry grinned, taking the box excitedly, “Thanks! Um, shit- Have a seat?”   
Draco did so, crossing his legs. Those silvery eyes wouldn’t meet Harry’s own, instead of flickering all over the place.  
“So...You’ve been here, this entire time?”  
Draco chuckled, “Oh, god no. I lived in France for a couple of years, actually,”  
“Damn, that’s a big leap. Why’d you do that?”  
“Fresh start. There’s a small cottage my Mother bought before she was wed to my father, so I was able to live there without the Malfoy name being so...large,” Draco winced after bringing up his parents, the wound of his mother’s death likely still a gashing wound.  
“That’s...really nice,”  
“Well, I suppose. It allowed me to come here, and...I escaped, I suppose. What about you? What did you do?”  
“Became an author. Interviewed people plagued by the war. Tried to fix up the house my godfather left me. Nasty old thing, that is,”  
“Is that why you’re living in Muggle London now?”  
“Partly,” Harry starts, deciding to continue when faint interest shines in Draco’s eyes, “Though I’m like you, I suppose. Just trying to escape,” Harry sighs heavily, trying to wave away the thoughts that plagued him.  
“Sometimes, that’s all you can do,” Draco says quietly, offering the timidest of smiles towards Harry. He reciprocates before the other man flicks his gaze to the ground.  
For a good moment, they sit in comfortable silence. Harry takes this chance to survey his new neighbor.  
Draco’s wearing Muggle attire, which doesn’t surprise Harry quite as much as it did 5 years prior. During Hogwarts’ reconstruction, Harry had been shocked to see Draco clad in Muggle clothing.   
It’s the outfit that Draco is wearing that truly shocks him.  
Draco’s legs are hugged by dark gray skinny jeans, fashionable rips revealing his pale skin between them. Harry supposes the bite of the early autumn wind brought the light gray sweater Draco is wearing. It’s too big, falling to his mid-thigh and past his fingertips. He’s wearing some brand of flat sneakers, that are black.  
Not to mention that Draco’s hair is tied back in a bun, that doesn’t match his immaculate personality. Loose strands have slipped from it, framing his face gently.  
Draco doesn’t look anything like his self, because Draco looks feminine.  
This shocks Harry enough that a flurry of questions raises through his head. Never would he have thought Draco Malfoy, the prestigious pureblood who flaunted his masculinity, would be wearing feminine clothes.  
“Uh...so, do you live alone? Or with a girlfriend?”  
Draco raises an eyebrow, “I live with my cat. No girlfriend, though I’m not exactly sure where you got that from,”  
“I figured that, well, you’ve been here for a few years...maybe you got a girlfriend- sorry,” Harry says, trying to push away his defensiveness. He frankly knows it’s not a good idea to get in a fight with Draco right not, not when the man’s his damn neighbor.  
“Potter, I don’t date girls,” Draco sighs. Harry practically turns into a tomato, wanting to slap himself.  
“Shit, shit! Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume- there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s nothing wrong with being gay-”  
“I’m straight,” Draco says flatly.  
“Wait, what?” Harry’s lost, completely hit out of nowhere.  
“...You do know...Right?”  
“Know what? Draco I don’t understand, what?”  
“Fucking Merlin above-- okay. Well, this makes more sense. Transgender. You know the term?”  
“Yeah…? I’ve known a couple of people who are trans, how does that…?”  
“You truly are the most oblivious person I’ve ever met,”  
“Just explain what’s happening, don’t insult me!”  
“In simple terms, I am a transgender woman.”  
“...You’re...what?”  
“Trans. Born with male parts, transitioned to a woman,” Draco’s taking a softer tone, “I thought you would have known that…”  
“No- how would I have known! You just, you vanished!”  
“Well, good to know you don’t read the Prophet,”  
“No one with a brain does anymore,”  
“Thank god. Well, in short, I’m the owner of all the Malfoy belongings. My father can’t control it, so this next part doesn’t matter...but, he disowned me. It was a giant pissfit for a little while, he wanted to tarnish me as much as he could,”  
“...So he told the Prophet?”  
“Correct. He couldn’t take away the money, or anything else...so he tried to rip away the rest of my reputation. I have no idea if it worked, I only heard about it through Pansy,”  
“Shit, shit...thats...He disowned you?”  
“Yes. Sounds worse then it is, I promise. I just don’t have access to the Manor, and some of the things that were in the Malfoy name. I didn’t want them in the first place, not after seeing my errors, but...Some people freaked apparently.”  
“Why?”  
“The Malfoy line is dead. It’s ancient, one of the only ones with pure blood,” Draco scowls at the words, making them tinged with poison, “Or some shit.”  
“Even if you weren’t trans...wouldn’t it have died anyway? Because you’re into men?”  
“No. I would have entered an arranged marriage- one was already set up, in fact. With Astoria Greengrass, I believe...might have been the other one? Either way, I wouldn’t have had a choice,”  
“But- but! That’s bloody bullshit, marriage is supposed to be for love!”  
“Not in the Malfoy family, or most pureblooded families. You marry for power and money. Whoever your parents pawn you off too, you pop out babies and raise those babies to be just like you. Pawn them off to someone. The cycle continues,”  
Harry couldn’t even imagine that, thinking of the married couples he knows. Ron’s parents were in love, an old married couple that worked together like the gears in the clock. Fleur and Bill were so in love it was sickening sometimes. Ron and Hermione? They were just perfect too, even though they are so different.  
“...Did you grow up knowing that? That’s so, that’s fucked up,”  
“Perhaps, but there's worse shit. You know about the supremacy, that’s...even worse,”  
“I assumed,”  
Draco sighs, “My apologies for putting this all on you, Potter. You don’t deserve that,”  
“Hey, you gave me cookies. I’ll listen to anything for cookies,”  
This actually makes the first real smile appear from Draco, “Good to know,”  
Harry pauses, before his mouth opens in a comedic ‘o’ shape, “I haven’t tried them!” He takes off the top quickly, before taking one of the chocolate cookies and popping it into his mouth.  
Draco seems mildly disgusted at his eating habits, but Harry ignores him. He lets out a low moan as it melts in his mouth, the perfect balance between crispy on the outside and soft on the inside taking over his taste buds. It’s pure heaven, coming after Mrs. Weasley’s baking. Not that Harry would ever admit that to the woman.  
“This is fucking incredible, Dr-” Harry stops. Tension crackles in the air, making Harry’s heart race.  
“...I’m glad you like them-”  
“Hey, um, do you go by a different name? Now that you’ve transitioned?” Harry asks him- no, her. He’ll have to get better at that, calling her by the correct pronouns. He’ll practice, practice, practice, until it comes out without any thought. She deserves that.  
“I...go by Lyra, actually…” She’s quiet now, shyer then Harry’s ever seen her. She flicks her gaze up though, looking him in the eyes.  
Harry grins, he grins the widest he has in quite a long time.   
“Well, these are bloody incredible, Lyra!”  
The woman with the moon-like eyes grins at him, happiness dancing in her gaze...and Harry feels his heart skip a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I actually wrote a chapter, who would have thought...I have an excuse.  
> One- had no idea what to do after that ending.  
> Two- My keyboard is many levels of broken and I decide to write this chapter because my brain was fLOWING with ideas. So...used the on-screen keyboard.  
> Three- I get another school-issued laptop in late August, wanted to wait till then to write more fanfics.
> 
> I did not wait til then to write, whoops. Anyway, this'll probably be the last update since I'm turning the laptop in in seven days...  
> Maybe I'll learn how to format sometime, maybe not.


End file.
